Better flood warnings needed, Wales FM says

The first minister says that Wales needs better flood warnings after Storm Bert devastated homes and businesses at the weekend.

Eluned Morgan said she would raise the issue following complaints about alerts issued by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the Met Office.

In the Senedd she promised payments to households of £1,000 for the uninsured, and £500 for the insured.

She faced calls from Plaid Cymru for more cash for coal tip safety from Labour colleagues in Westminster following the landslip in Cwmtillery, but the first minister said it would be "difficult" to spend more than the £25m she had asked for.

She said she was "confident" Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would provide more money.

NRW, which is overseen by Morgan's Welsh government, said on Monday that it would look into complaints that warnings had came too late.

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies told the Senedd that if there was a "greater warning, then there could have been more preventative measures put in place".

He echoed concerns from Labour Rhondda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan about the yellow Met Office weather warning that had been issued.

He said in some of the most severely affected areas in Pontypridd that the first residents realised there was flooding "was when neighbours were going from house to house, banging on the doors".

First Minister Eluned Morgan said Natural Resources Wales issued 131 alerts and warnings, "including two severe flood warnings with over 95,000 messages sent", reaching 46,000 people.

"So they did quite a lot. The question is, could they have done more?"

Later, in response to Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, she added: "I accept that people need better warning, and that is something clearly that will need to be discussed with NRW and the Met Office."

A meeting will take place next week with NRW and councils, Morgan said.

The first minister defended the Welsh government's record on flood defence, four years after Storm Dennis had hit Wales.

She said the rain had been more frequent and intense in parts, and river levels higher, but far fewer homes were affected than in 2020.

Plaid Cymru's ap Iorwerth criticised the £25m promised by the UK government for coal tip safety, following Sunday's landslip at Cwmtillery.

Estimates he said suggested it could cost £600m over 10 to 15 years. "These tips need to be made safe and urgently," he said.

Morgan said nothing had been forthcoming from the previous Conservative government "for four years".

She said she was "really pleased that the first Labour government answered our request for £25m, which is what we asked for, because we recognise this is a 10 to 15 year project".

"There will be limits of being able to absorb additional money, because there will be limits in terms of expertise [and] equipment.

"If they gave us the money, it would be very difficult to use it all up because of the lack of expertise that we need to build up."

But she said the Welsh government will ask for more cash. "I am very confident that he will be forthcoming, as he was last time".